Hillwalking Thread

[Swello]

2 minutes ago, Am Featha *****h Nan Clach said:

This was my view from the CMD route

I would imagine that's most people's view

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Climbing Ben Nevis in a couple of weeks. Scrolling through the last hundred or so posts it doesn't seem very popular here, but I'm a novice and have never done it before. In fact, my hillwalking experience is very limited - Ben Lomond, Ben Dornich, Ben Rinnes and Goat Fell are my conquests so far. Is it any good and does anyone have any tips? One of the other guys doing it is quite experienced and has suggested going up an alternative route than the main one.

If you're reasonably fit and ok-ish with heights, the CMD I'd both not scary, and if you get views, utterly epic. There's a bypass path in places if you don't fancy the Crest, and the only non-optional airy bit I can recall is a short 2m wide granite slab which is piss easy.

The ascent from the area to BN is about 250m of boulderfield but the route is easy to follow. You'll pop out almost immediately along from the summit trig, probably with about 200 folk for company [emoji23]

The tourist route/pony track is fucking tedious.

[Chinatoon Bairn]

19 hours ago, Day of the Lords said:

I'm having a fairly mixed 2 weeks in the NW. Last week we stayed in Strathcarron, and managed two Corbetts, the piss easy Sgurr a'Chaorachain from Beakach na Ba, and the glorious An Ruadh Stac from Coulags.

Also the bonus of upsetting the owner of the estate who "didn't want us on his hill" despite the fact we'd be nowhere near his shoot.

Now in Ullapool where it's totally cunting it down. Hoping to bag Cul Beag and Canisp before heading home.

Cracking compared to how I got it a couple of weeks ago up Stob Ban. Tried to upload a couple of photos here but got bit in the arse with the 8MB limit.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Cracking compared to how I got it a couple of weeks ago up Stob Ban. Tried to upload a couple of photos here but got bit in the arse with the 8MB limit.

It's shite now. So far this week we've essentially had 4 days of gales and horizontal rain [emoji23]

[Swello]

14 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

It's shite now. So far this week we've essentially had 4 days of gales and horizontal rain

I'm up in Ullapool at the end of Oct for some Ben More Coigach action - but I'm already looking for some "pish weather boring hills" to do as a backup as I don't do classic hills on shite days...

[Benjamin_Nevis]

I'm up in Ullapool at the end of Oct for some Ben More Coigach action - but I'm already looking for some "pish weather boring hills" to do as a backup as I don't do classic hills on shite days...

Are you doing the Fiddler as well? It's a superb route on a good day. I did it in 2017, it probably topped any Munro I've done. Superb fun and views. My TR from them is halfway down the link.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=76045

Canisp from the east and either of the "Culs" are easyish shite weather options imo.

[Swello]

58 minutes ago, Day of the Lords said:

Are you doing the Fiddler as well? It's a superb route on a good day. I did it in 2017, it probably topped any Munro I've done. Superb fun and views. My TR from them is halfway down the link.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=76045

Canisp from the east and either of the "Culs" are easyish shite weather options imo.

Aye - Fiddler as well - hoping for a nice day as they have been on my to-do list for a few years. 

The problem with alternatives is that Cul Beag, Canisp and others around there that I haven't done all qualify as very interesting to me - as it is one of my favourite walking areas, so I'm really looking for hills that I basically couldn't be arsed driving the length of the country to climb in normal circumstances - so my eye is on Beinn Enaiglair and Meall Doire Faid if it's looking a bit grim.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

Aye - Fiddler as well - hoping for a nice day as they have been on my to-do list for a few years. 
The problem with alternatives is that Cul Beag, Canisp and others around there that I haven't done all qualify as very interesting to me - as it is one of my favourite walking areas, so I'm really looking for hills that I basically couldn't be arsed driving the length of the country to climb in normal circumstances - so my eye is on Beinn Enaiglair and Meall Doire Faid if it's looking a bit grim.

Enaglair is a good shout. I did it in shite weather a few years ago. Good paths to the foot of it from what I remember before s pathless 400m of so to the summit

[Benjamin_Nevis]

On 09/10/2019 at 13:57, Swello said:

Aye - Fiddler as well - hoping for a nice day as they have been on my to-do list for a few years. 

The problem with alternatives is that Cul Beag, Canisp and others around there that I haven't done all qualify as very interesting to me - as it is one of my favourite walking areas, so I'm really looking for hills that I basically couldn't be arsed driving the length of the country to climb in normal circumstances - so my eye is on Beinn Enaiglair and Meall Doire Faid if it's looking a bit grim.

I did Canisp on Thursday. It's not particularly interesting until you get to about 700+m and Suilven appears. The first couple of Kms are an utter bogfest thanks to a week+ of biblical rain. The rest of the ascent is on a patchy route which at times becomes a path through quartz-strewn slopes. On the plus side, if it's windy it has an absolutely magnificent shelter cairn with a good view. 

Otherwise, "meh". 

[Swello]

Fancied some hills yesterday and felt like heading east as the forecast looked ok. When I started hillwalking, the East Mounth & Cairngorms was my favourite area and so I had pretty much climbed everything and wandered along every path before I spent much time anywhere else - and as a result, I haven't spent any time there over the past few years. I didn't have too much time to spare yesterday, so I decided to climb the two hills in the area that I hadn't done before - Monamenach and Ben Gulabin.

Obviously, this was two separate walks in one day - both hilariously quick/easy when you are used to big days - but it was nice to be in the snow for the first time this season and it's always good looking round at so many hills that I remember from the early days...

This was a surprise.

 

[invergowrie arab]

14 minutes ago, Swello said:

Fancied some hills yesterday and felt like heading east as the forecast looked ok. When I started hillwalking, the East Mounth & Cairngorms was my favourite area and so I had pretty much climbed everything and wandered along every path before I spent much time anywhere else - and as a result, I haven't spent any time there over the past few years. I didn't have too much time to spare yesterday, so I decided to climb the two hills in the area that I hadn't done before - Monamenach and Ben Gulabin.

Obviously, this was two separate walks in one day - both hilariously quick/easy when you are used to big days - but it was nice to be in the snow for the first time this season and it's always good looking round at so many hills that I remember from the early days...

This was a surprise

I was up Mt Blair yesterday. Glorious.

The collage on the hill is Hamish Henderson and is there for a couple of weeks as part of the Hamish Matters festival which celebrates his life and work.

[Swello]

10 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

I was up Mt Blair yesterday. Glorious.

The collage on the hill is Hamish Henderson and is there for a couple of weeks as part of the Hamish Matters festival which celebrates his life and work.

Mount Blair was looking good from Monamenach (I was there around 10:30am). Also - I hadn't been in Glen Isla for years - really nice part of the country...

[ThomCat]

Explored Luss hills on Friday and climbed Beinn Narnain on Saturday.  Very rewarding but the gully before the summit was more treacherous than anticipated.

 

[D.A.F.C]

Did west lomond today. Busiest I've ever seen it. Lake district busy.

First hill since doing ankle ligaments so chuffed and back to munros next year.

[mathematics]

Suilven today. Left the car park at 7am in the pitch black but got up and down in 6.5 hours which was surprisingly quick as I was with Mrs Mathematics.

 

[invergowrie arab]

Only got as far as Corrie Fee today. It was blowing a hoolie 

[++Ammo - Airdrie++]

Right you fine specimens....
First time in this topic. I'm the absolute novice of hillwalking, never done one in my life.
Over the last few years I've had operations on my knees etc so I'm aware of my capabilities. Recovered well through the gym etc, and I've just recently got another dog which will need a lot of walking, hit my plan is once the dogs a year old in the summer, to get out and do a bit of hillwalking at the weekend with her.
Obviously with the knees I'll be limited to some of the stuff I can do, so I'm looking for "the pie and Bovril beginners guide to hillwalking" (that's also dog friendly).

It would be handy to know of any equipment that I might also require but I'd imagine the stuff I'm looking at doing is mostly "a good jacket and boots" type stuff rather than a bag full of stuff?
But that's why I'm here, to find all this stuff out.
Any help much appreciated.

[Ross.]

Wee trip up the mountains over the weekend to Saas Fee. I think the picture was from the top of Hannigalp which is around 2100 meters above sea level(Saas Fee itself is around the 1800 mark). Also took a trek up another of the mountains, forgotten the name, to around the 2300 mark. Decent wee walk in the snow for both.

[D.A.F.C]

For summer walking dont need more than decent boots, waterproof jacket and trousers and take plenty water, some food.
Planning your trip and knowing your bearings also as essential. Dont be afraid to turn back if the weather turns nasty.
You will be surprised at how many people you see about. Good starter Munro is ben lomond, nothing really to think about just a straight walk up a path.

[Swello]

1 hour ago, ++Ammo - Airdrie++ said:

Right you fine specimens....
First time in this topic. I'm the absolute novice of hillwalking, never done one in my life.
Over the last few years I've had operations on my knees etc so I'm aware of my capabilities. Recovered well through the gym etc, and I've just recently got another dog which will need a lot of walking, hit my plan is once the dogs a year old in the summer, to get out and do a bit of hillwalking at the weekend with her.
Obviously with the knees I'll be limited to some of the stuff I can do, so I'm looking for "the pie and Bovril beginners guide to hillwalking" (that's also dog friendly).

It would be handy to know of any equipment that I might also require but I'd imagine the stuff I'm looking at doing is mostly "a good jacket and boots" type stuff rather than a bag full of stuff?
But that's why I'm here, to find all this stuff out.
Any help much appreciated.

Firstly - don't get too hung up on gear (and I say that as someone who's garage resembles a branch of Tiso ). Initially, I would make sure that you have a waterproof jacket (and trousers) that you can rely on. Obviously, it rains a lot but also it's worth remembering that Scotland is a windy country and so even on nice days at the carpark, it is usually cold higher up and waterproof jackets act as a good windproof layer as well as keeping out the rain, which makes a big difference.

The other essential part is  (obviously) footwear and it's not as straightforward as going and splashing out on a pair of big walking boots. If you are going to start out on "simpler" things, it is likely to be mainly on paths and boots might not be required. Unless you are careful, boots can be heavy and it's simple to understand that lifting a kilogram of boots multiple thousands of times over the course of a walk is more tiring and harder on your body than lifting 300grams of "walking" trainers. I personally wear walking boots in the winter and on very steep and/or rocky stuff but when I know that I'm on paths, gentle terrain like the Southern Uplands near where I live or for long distance low level walks, I wear trail shoes/trail runners.  Bottom line is to think about the weight and the sort of terrain that you'll be walking on.

If you have problems with knees - trekking poles should be high on the list and you can cheap ones to start out with. I use them all the time, mainly because I move a lot faster with them over pathless stuff but also to take a bit of weight off my knees on long descents. 

Other than that, any daypack will do to chuck your lunch and waterproofs in. I would always carry gloves and a hat/cap, especially for stops/breaks where you cool down surprisingly quickly. I would never leave home without a map/compass and even when you are starting out on obvious paths, it is good practice to have a map in your hand to get used to pinpointing where you are, working out how much distance you're covering etc.

In terms of where to start out - if you are in Lanarkshire, I think it is a legal requirement that you climb Tinto before doing anything else. Its got a motorway path all the way to the top, is isolated so has great views and has a cafe at the bottom Other than that, the pentlands are accessible and are covered in good paths and have some steeper walks when you fancy that. There are plenty of walks on good paths in the hills around Moffat and the tweed valley around Peebles is covered in good waymarked trails that get you into the high country without many difficulties...

Edited January 7, 2020 by Swello